Not Just For Wedges, Pt. 2

Leather cargo pants, $6,450
Balmain Leather motocross pants, $5,330
Black Suede Wedge, 6 995 SEK
Sam Edelman Zoe Heel - Black Leather, $300
Opal leather wedge sandals, $295

4.28.10

'Welcome to Goodburger, Home of the Goodburger, Can I Take Your Order?'

4.28.10

Not Your Grandmother's Pearls

Items in this set:
Sauce Skeleton Dress in Black, $95
Hell Bunny - 'Nutcracker' Net Dress (Black/Red), 38 GBP
Christian Dior black polished calf 'Serpent' booties, $770
Anaconda studded ankle boot, $950
DSQUARED2 - Belt -75TP256 (Black/Crystal/White/Light Pink) -..., $440

Absolutely LUSTWORTHY

The Look:

Victoria's Secret Sequined Legging, $88

For Less:

Hot Topic Black Sequin Legging, $18

The Hunt is On.

The 'jegging' trend might be going full steam ahead, but anyone that knows me knows that I have an obsession with leather pants (and a fondness for real denim. Sue me.) For years, I've coveted a Mick Jagger, so-tight-you-can-barely-breathe pair, but have never come across any under $600 that had the fit I wanted. See Alexander Wang's pair from his Fall '09 collection, at right. Just like that.

Instead, the majority of the ones I came across were bootcut instead of rockstar skinny, and reminded me of Martin Lawrence in Wild Hogs. So I did what any girl on a mission would do: I looked for an alternative. And lo and behold, what did I find: leather/liquid leggings.

As a former HATER of the leggings trend, I must say that I'm behind on this one. Maybe I was blinded by the utter ridiculousness that is Lindsey Lohan, but the liquid legging never appealed to me before.

It may also be due to the fact that I'm not going for an overly shiny, Spandex look either. I want to look TOUGH. I also like the structure that comes along with pants, the hems, the seaming detail. A lot of the ruggedness that I love would disappear with the streamlined nature of a legging.

I found a few doable pairs of leather leggings online, the most expensive being a $200 pair from Victoria's Secret. Eek! This girl's on a budget, for all that I'll just save up for, oh, seven months and get the Alexander Wang pair. Plus I have a feeling that with leather pants, seeing is believing so I'd HAVE to try them on first. *Sigh* The hunt continues... these things are harder to find than Red October...

What's Black and White and Cute All Over?

Mixing prints in the same color palette... and topping it off with red shoes!

4.23.10

Street Fair!

So this Saturday I attended one of those uniquely New York City institutions: a downtown street fair. It extended from 23rd St all the way to 18th, and had food, music, art, jewelry- any and everything that you could think of! There were some incredible leather bag vendors, too, and I fell in love with a schoolgirl-style satchel, but it was $125. Way more than I was willing to drop at a fair. *sad face*

Instead, I drowned my sorrows in fair food: corn on the cob, deep fried Oreos (if you have never had them, you must try... it's like crack in a can, baby!), corn dogs, shish kabobs, lemonade... you name it, I probably ate it.


It was a beautiful day: warm and sunny, with a little bit of a breeze, so I wanted to dress bright and happy. No matter how HOT it is, I refuse to wear dresses without some kind of undergarment before May 1 (it just doesn't seem appropriate), so instead I paired this heart print dress with leggings and a polka dot tank top. My pink high top Chucks seemed like the perfect fit.

By the end of the day, though, it was cooling down, so the dress came off and I threw my RED LEATHER JACKET (which was my best purchase in years) on instead. It then proceeded to RAIN for the rest of the weekend.

I also had dinner and drinks a few times with the bestie and her co-workers, but I forgot to take pics like a douche. So here are some more of the fair! Enjoy:

4.24.10

I Want Candy!

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Candy' Logo Bangle, $32 each

I want them, I need them, I HAVE to have them!
I think I'm headed into a full-blown Marc by Marc Jacobs phase.

Oh, Sailor

Horizontal stripes have long incurred fear into the hearts of shoppers everywhere. Everybody knew that they made you look wide and squat; it was Fashion 101. But Carrie Bradshaw's nautical-themed look for her first day in Paris was a hit in 2004. She looked sophisticated, sexy, and- dare we say it- skinny.

Six years later and the trend is hot as ever, with Chanel and Derek Lam's 2010 Resort collections heavily inspired by all things under the sea. Red, white, and blue, staples of any nautical ensemble, are classic summer colors, and tend to look polished and expensive. Stripes can be worn big and bold or sleek and skinny, and can be remixed onto shorts, sweaters, and dresses. Just try to keep one solid piece in there, so the pattern doesn't overwhelm you. A little print can take your look a long way.

A lot of fun can also be had with accessories when following a maritime theme. Anchors, sailor hats, gold, and rope details go a long way, but make sure not to go overboard (ahem... pun intended) or your look may turn into a costume. These wedge heels are a perfect blend of whimsy and trend. I WISH I KNEW WHO THEY WERE BY but I can't find it anywhere!

Here are some affordable tops from Urban Outfitters:


Truly Madly Deeply French Terry Stripe Pullover, $32


BDG 3/4 Sleeve Nautical Tee, $28


Nothing Sacred By Obesity and Speed Cropped Tank, $38

4.23.10

Work Play Clothes... Excellent for playing hooky.

4.22.10

Raawwwrrr Cassettes

Tiffany's For Bubble Gum Machine?

Vera Wang is doing it. Rodarte, too. Sonia Rykiel, Hello Kitty and Costello Tagliapietra are getting in on the action. And, of course, Zac Posen. No, they're not designing around similar color schemes or for avant garde events. They're all creating looks for less; inexpensive collections made specifically to be sold at massive retail stores.

It started with Isaac Mizrahi for Target in 2002. His collection was wildly successful, going until 2008 and completely revamping both his and the Target brands (he went on to design for Liz Claiborne.) It wasn't long before H&M commissioned their own big names, teaming up with Stella McCartney in 2006, Comme des Garcons in 2008, and Jimmy Choo in 2009, among others.

Jimmy Choo for H&M ad

Both retailers have long been utilized by bargain hunters for their affordable, trendy clothes, but H&M looks are so mass-produced you always run the risk of finding your evil twin at a party. And Target finds could occassionally look, well, cheap.

(There are exceptions to this, though. I bought a gorgeous purple dress from Target's Mossimo line a few years back for about $20, and I ended up wearing it for New Years. It was a huge hit, and very well made. Plus, nobody else had it or even had an idea of where I'd gotten it.) 

Customers that may love Costello Tagliapietra's easy dresses but not their uneasy $400 price tag are the key demographic for this type of campaign. They can pick up a $30 version from New York-based, Japanese store Uniqlo, and if they love it, they may shell out for more expensive pieces from the line. Bam! A new customer.

But the reverse works as well; when I was at the Target shopping party, I saw women there who looked like it was the first time they'd gone past 5th Avenue in YEARS. I could just imagine them clutching their jewelry and repeating, like a mantra: "It's a recession. It's a recession."

This partnership between retailer and designer works out for all parties: the big name gets their looks out to people who may never been able to afford it before, the consumer gets high-end looks AND quality for less, and the retailer gets big sales, big names, and the customer who may have been just a bit too snooty for Target before.

They can just be content with calling it 'Tar-jaayyy, dahling.'

Brooklyn - 4.20.10

We Go Hard. And Tap Dance. And Eat Mac and Cheese.

4.20.10

4.20.10

Not Just For Potatoes

I. Love. Wedges. I adore this Ashish pair by Topshop, but, alas, they've been sold out for months. I've been coveting a black leather pair, also from Topshop, but they only come in half sizes. I need a pair of wedges before the warm weather season fully kicks off!

With putty-colored toenails and a good leather bag, there's nothing chicer than a solid wedge. They can be dressed up or down, paired with shorts and a nautical-themed top or even a long jumper (if you dare!) to stay on trend. Only a long one, though. Those short rompers just look like onesies to me... I'm thinking of getting a few pairs as the perfect summer sleep/loungewear.

As heavy-duty footwear, you can also always rely on your wedges to keep a diaphanous dress from being too sweet. Make them work appropriate by pairing with a sleek, skinny pant and dressy blouse, but just make sure the pant isn't too tight. Don't worry about how high the shoe is, either; wedges support the entire foot and don't have the scare factor of a pair of towering high heels. This is definitely THE shoe of Spring 2010.

I'm thinking of wearing t-strap wedges, ankle socks, and a light, pastel dress with cardigan for my mothers wedding, which will be held in June. A belted skirt-and-shirt combo, like this look from Fendi's Spring 2009 line, could also work:


Those shoes are fantastic!